1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surgical treatment system which allows living tissue to be treated using energy.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-247893 discloses a surgical instrument which allows living tissue to be treated using high-frequency energy and thermal energy. To carry out a procedure such as a coagulation procedure or an incision on a living body, the surgical instrument comprises an openable and closable holding section (treatment section) which holds the living tissue. The holding section comprises a pair of holding members. As shown in FIG. 12, a first holding member 2620 comprises a cutter guiding groove 2620a through which a cutter (not shown in the drawings) is guided. Furthermore, the first holding member 2620 comprises a first high-frequency electrode 2660 and a plurality of heater members 3000. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing that the plurality of heater members 3000 are fixed to a back surface of the first high-frequency electrode 2660. A front surface of the first high-frequency electrode 2660 is a contact surface which comes into contact with living tissue. Additionally, the heater members 3000 are discretely disposed on the back surface of the first high-frequency electrode 2660. In this case, the first high-frequency electrode 2660 is insulated from the heater members 3000.
After living tissue is treated by high-frequency energy or thermal energy, the cutter is used to incise a treated site of the living tissue.
The first high-frequency electrode 2660 treats the living tissue with high-frequency energy applied to the first high-frequency electrode 2660.
Heat generated by the heater members 3000 is transferred from the heater members 3000 to the first high-frequency electrode 2660. Thus, the living tissue which is in contact with the first high-frequency electrode 2660 is cauterized. That is, the heater members 3000 treat the living tissue by thermal energy via the first high-frequency electrode 2660.
As described above, the surgical instrument treats the living tissue using high-frequency energy and thermal energy.
The discretely disposed heaters 3000 serve both to control the cost of the heater members 3000 and to keep the temperature of the holding section 2260 uniform.
Furthermore, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-37845 discloses a surgical instrument which treats living tissue using thermal energy. FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B are diagrams showing a treatment section of the surgical instrument.
A heating treatment section 700 comprises a heating treatment section main body 700a in which heating elements 2100 (2100a, 2100b, and 2100c) are embedded. Each of the heating elements 2100, serving as heating means, is, for example, a thin-plate resistor formed on a ceramic plate. Each of the heating elements 2100 is connected to one end of a lead 2300 (2300a, 2300b, and 2300c) for energization. Furthermore, the other end of the lead 2300 is placed in a connection cable (not shown in the drawings) by being inserted through the connection cable and is then connected to a connection terminal (not shown in the drawings).
This surgical instrument can individually control the amounts of heat generated by the three heating elements 2100, thus making the temperature of the heating treatment section more uniform.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-247893 described above fails to disclose a specific method for individually connecting connection cables to the heater members 3000.
Furthermore, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-37845 described above discloses a method for individually connecting connection cables to the heating elements 2100. Such a connection method requires a large junction area. In particular, the individual control of the amounts of heat generated by the heating elements 2100 involves disposition of a plurality of connection cables. This, however, hinders efforts to reduce the size of the heating treatment section 700, particularly the widthwise dimension thereof. Additionally, the individual connection of the connection cables to the heating elements 2100 increases the cost.